Transporting beverage container, such as milk cartons, requires that the container be protected during transportation in a specialized crate, such as a milk crate. The crates generally include a central opening for accepting the beverage container and may include multiple handles to aid in grasping the crate. The specialized crates are helpful because they allow the containers to be protected while maximizing the number of containers stored in the crate.
Once the containers have been delivered, the empty crates are returned to the beverage company to be refilled with containers for the next shipment. However, many crates extend the entire height of the container stored inside. Although full height crates provide a maximum amount of protection, the empty crates require a significant volume when stacked empty. In order to reduce the volume, some crates may be nestable, however, the crates generally only nest a small amount if it all in the case of milk crates. Therefore, there is a need to improve shipment of containers and the crates that store the containers.